GP - Wild Magic 2: Chaotic Evil Boogaloo

[londoncallingmods]

London was a magic epicenter of sorts. Between doors to The Otherside, dormant and active portals, and an active wizarding community, it was a hub of energy, more so now than it had been for quite some time. The city was experiencing a magical renaissance of sorts- Which sounded lovely and made it a prime place to be for those exploring and studying magical energies, but wasn't so wonderful for London's more 'normal' sorts.

Magic didn't care if you were a dark lord or a banker, if it liked you, it liked you- And it was impossible to guess who it would like.

Today magic energy was at an all time high. Another blip in the usually somewhat steady stream of power that flowed through the streets. As a result, odd things were afoot- From mischievous inconveniences, to darker disruptions. Unlike the portals, these bothers were a touch more subtle, creeping up unseen on the unsuspecting.

Last time around the magic had seemed lighthearted and playful- And some of it still was, but... There was an intensity to some of it this time, harking back to the troubles that seemed to roll around every Halloween now. Something wicked was caught in the current, and while it wasn't out to harm everyone, it did seem keen to target a few.

(OTA. Just like the last time, the magic can affect your pup however you see fit. Unlike last time, however, some of the magic has taken a darker turn. It doesn't have to do something wicked to your pup, of course, but the option is there now. This post will be open from 7/18-7/28 or longer if needed. Tag in, tag others, and check back often.)

Comments

[harrowgate]

If Felix thought Spencer's view a touch naive, he did not say so directly. It was charming, after all. "Well, the Church, for one, I imagine. Either Roman Catholic or Of England, take your pick, though the global influence of either is questionable, these days."

Felix refreshed his own coffee from the thermos as he suggested, "My question would be, who does want it? The wealthy would lay claim right away, don't you think?"

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Probably," Spencer agreed, unable to hide how disappointed he felt as the reality of the idea settled in. "In books it's always drawn to the worthy. Ultimate good blessed by it, and the ultimate evil stealing it or manipulating it. ...Don't worry though, you don't have to point out to me how reality generally differs from fantasy. I know enough about reality. ...I used to work for the FBI," he confessed softly.

[harrowgate]

Felix actually felt a brief twinge of guilt that he'd caused some of Spencer's enthusiasm to dim. It felt like a terrible crime he'd just committed. Perhaps if he let the adorable doctor discuss his work... ? Or perhaps not, he did say 'used to.'

"The purpose of those books isn't to delineate between fantasy and reality, necessarily. They are to provide you with possibility enough for you to define your own reality," Felix postulated. "Surely investigative work requires imagination."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"It does," Spencer nodded, tucking his wavy hair back behind his ear. "I worked for the Behavioural Analysis Unit though, so the scenarios imagined were generally pretty dark," he confessed.

[harrowgate]

"Fascinating," Felix said, quite honestly, because to him that sounded much more like magic than anything he did. "So if I asked you why, for instance, my lover does the things he does, you might actually have an answer?"

[dr_spencer_reid]

"I could offer a hypothesis," Spencer replied, nodding a little. "Its accuracy would be dependent on how much information I had to work with."

[harrowgate]

"We... well, naturally, this will become personal very quickly," Felix said, after a moment's hesitation. Shannon would be mortified that Felix was discussing this with a stranger, but he already saw Spencer as an intellectual peer, and approached this as a matter of deduction, and not really one of interpersonal relationships. Or of privacy.

"We have something of an open relationship, but it's entirely one-sided. He has the freedom to spend time with other men, if he wants to, but he doesn't. And he's beautiful, so men of our persuasion are throwing themselves at him constantly. It doesn't bother me, he surely has the opportunity, but he doesn't take advantage of it and I cannot fathom why."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"The obvious answer would be he's content. He loves you and is willing to share to keep you, even though he's only romanticly or sexually attracted to you. ...Or he's hoping that eventually, you'll only want him," Spencer replied, pausing a beat, then looking thoughtful. "Alternatively, it's possible he enjoys the idea of you with other people, that he's aroused by it. Or that he enjoys the agony of it."

[harrowgate]

Obvious to Spencer, perhaps. Not at all obvious to Felix. Did Shannon love him? Felix honestly did not know. They did not say those sorts of things to one another.

"Shannon Teverius has never been known to suffer anything he found unpleasant, so I think I can safely refute the last possibility," Felix commented, distractedly. "Any of the others, though... it sounds so implausible. He barely has to crook his little finger to draw people to him. I don't know why he should be content with just me."

Felix shook his head. "I suppose you would need further data to narrow the possibilities, but I imagine that would become uncomfortable very quickly."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Very," Spencer nodded. "I try not to profile people who aren't suspected criminals," he added honestly.

[harrowgate]

"Ah." Yes, there was that. Felix hadn't thought of it. Shannon wouldn't appreciate that.

The redhead melted into a smile, the sort that he turned on bartenders and sales clerks when he wanted to get his own way. It was sweet and warm, just a touch self-effacing, and absolutely focused. "That was very poor of me. I do so hate it when people ask me to do my work for free on my off time. Were you in London in a professional capacity?"

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer didn't profile people- But that didn't mean he didn't pick up on certain behaviours. He read deeply into that smile, and very much wasn't manipulated by it.

"No, I'm on suspension, and it's currently unlikely I'll be offered my position back," Spencer admitted honestly.

[harrowgate]

Felix's brows lifted delicately. There was undoubtedly a story there. "Gracious, darling. You seem so innocent."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Yeah- Would have been nice if other people besides my friends had agreed with that evaluation. I was framed for a crime I didn't commit. My name was cleared, but..."

He trailed off, then shook his head. "I don't even know if I want to go back," he said instead.

[harrowgate]

"I wouldn't blame you in the least, if they let such a thing happen," said Felix, sounding somewhat affronted on Spencer's behalf. "The people I work with all seem to despise me, but I'm certain they'd ask for strong proof if I were accused of something illegal."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"The evidence wasn't really in my favour," Spencer admitted, though he didn't go deeper than that. He didn't really want to admit that he'd been breaking enough rules that framing him hadn't been too hard in the end.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, though it wasn't a text or a call, just a news alert he'd set up. Still, when he glanced at it, he realized time was starting to run out if he still wanted to head down to the station.

"I should probably get going," he sighed, finishing his coffee and offering a smile. "Thank you for the coffee, and the conversation. I'd love to hear more about your research sometime."

[harrowgate]

"Oh, darling, you may regret that after the fifth or sixth hour," Felix laughed , but he didn't seem very serious. He recognized Spencer as a fellow lover of learning and knowledge, and that tended to bring with it a tolerance for long-winded discourse.

Felix held out one long-fingered pale hand, palm-up, with an inquisitive expression. "Shall I enter my details into your phone? I'd be delighted to take you out to dinner sometime soon, when Shannon's off being important and we can have a real talk."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"I'm not very good at reaching out to people," Spencer admitted, offering Felix his phone anyway, and then fishing out an old card that had his cell number on it. It still read Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid, FBI BAU.

[harrowgate]

Felix accepted the card and slid it into his shirt pocket, then tapped away at Spencer's phone. As soon as he had added himself to Spencer's contact list, he quickly sent himself a text, thereby securing the other man's details for his own. "Don't you worry, because I am. And if I get to be too much, you can simply tell me," Felix assured him as he offered the device back.

"I'm not offended easily... unless you criticize my suits," he added with a smile.

[dr_spencer_reid]

The look on Spencer's face at that made it painfully obvious that the doctor wouldn't have the faintest clue how to go about insulting someone's suit.

"I...wouldn't. Not intentionally," Spencer promised, before smiling in return. "I do look forward to hearing from you though."

[harrowgate]

Felix would keep this in mind for the next time they met. Based on admittedly sparse evidence, he suspected that Spencer had a... unique experience of social interaction. If Felix wanted to continue to converse with him, and he did, he'd do well to remember that. "As am I. Enjoy your time in London until I see you again, Dr. Reid."